'Herbig-Haro Objects in the Pelican Nebula'. The birth of new stars is a complex process which astronomers are still trying to understand in detail. One fascinating aspect of stellar formation is the production of jets of material which blast out from the poles of some new-born stars. Here, these jets, or ‘Herbig-Haro objects’, can be seen emerging from the thick dust and gas clouds of the Pelican Nebula, a stellar nursery in the constellation of Cygnus (Andre van der Hoeven)

'Herbig-Haro Objects in the Pelican Nebula'. The birth of new stars is a complex process which astronomers are still trying to understand in detail. One fascinating aspect of stellar formation is the production of jets of material which blast out from the poles of some new-born stars. Here, these jets, or ‘Herbig-Haro objects’, can be seen emerging from the thick dust and gas clouds of the Pelican Nebula, a stellar nursery in the constellation of Cygnus (Andre van der Hoeven)

Out of this world: Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2013

•30 July 2013

Extraordinary images of space have been shortlisted for the Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition 2013. A beautiful snap of the Milky Way from Dorset's Durdle Door competes with a close-up of the surface of the Sun and other incredible subjects thousands and millions of miles away. The entries will be whittled down to just a few category winners and exhibited at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich from September. We take a look at the best of the shortlist...